Ports Crisis: Just because it is a UAE based company that is going to take over management of port terminals why should it go through additional scrutiny? Its like telling the Arab world we don’t trust you. We suspect you might be terrorists! Btw, I have heard that the Jabal Ali Port in Dubai is one of the finest and best managed in the world.
Palestionian Aid: “The United States is not prepared to fund an organization that advocates the destruction of Israel, that advocates violence,” said Condi Rice. Fair enough. But what does the US expect from Hamas? Turn a new leaf and give up everything they have stood for all these years. Would anyone believe them even if they did? After all they stood for something and the Palestinians voted them to power. The US has been pushing for democracy and free and fair elections the world over. Then it should also be prepared to face the results. I think its important to give Hamas some time instead of “jumping all over them, setting the stage for their failure etc”. The BJP (by no means a terrorist org.) in India (known to include extreme right wing members), made a conscious attempt to make peace with Pak. They even nominated a Muslim to be the President of India).
Cartoon Crisis: The Europeans firmly joined the “Rest of the World” (despite its differences with the US) to appear as one giant conspiracy against Islam. Ironically, the US got some brownie points on the re-bound in this entire cartoon controversy. It wouldn’t be surprising to hear a “You are not the only bad guys, the Europeans are equally bad if not worse” sentiment from the Islamic countries.
There is a nice report in the NY Times (reg required)about differing views o the reaction in the Arab world to the crisis. Its heartening to note that there are liberals and others in Islamic countries who are denouncing the violent reponse to the cartoons.
Pakora Korner 
Very interesting to get an Indian perspective on the Islam/West divide.On the Ports issue, well there are numerous UAE links with terrorism. Whilst they do not have terror training camps as many Arabian nations do, they nonetheless play host to a large number of the ‘front’ organisations which fund terrorism.As far as aid to the Palestinians goes, you said it yourself – the US should be prepared to face the results. Well, it was made clear that if Hamas formed a new government it would have its US aid cut off, therefore the Palestinians must be prepared to face the consequences of their choice as well. Here is a Link to the Hamas charter. What they stand for seems pretty clear to me.http://www.mideastweb.org/hamas.htmThe Cartoon Crisis was deliberately manafactured by Islamists as a stick to beat the West into submission with. The cartoons were even published in an Egyptian daily during Ramadan without a murmur! But when it suited them, suddenly it became an issue. The only ‘conspiracy’ here is the one that Islam created.
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Glad to know that you found the perspective interesting. The UAE is one of the more progressive Arab states. So I think it makes sense to not antogonize them. In other words, do whatever checks you got to do, but don’t shut them out particularly because the company has good credentials. “Well, it was made clear that if Hamas formed a new government it would have its US aid cut off…” This mindset is part of the problem. The US wants to dole out cash and have a say in who rules and who does what but at the same time talk about freedom and democracy. What sort of freedom is it when a country is expected to vote accordng to US wishes? I am not in anyway defending Hamas and what they stand for. I just think its hasty to plan for their failure just when they have been voted to power in a democratic manner. While in power I suspect that it will hard for them to sustain their extremist tendencies. In general, there have been too many inconsistencies in the US policies over the years. For instance, the US has funded dictators like Saddam in the past and continues to do so (Musharaff in Pak). As for the cartoon crisis, I didn’t know about the printing in the Egyptian newspaper. I don’t rule out the possibility of a crisis created by govt forces.
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Dear Pran,http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=48746That link should give you what you need to know about the cartoons. That and the fact that the Danish Imams touring the Middle East added three truly nasty extras of their own just to make sure that people got good and angry – and then the good old BBC just happened to show one of the false ones as an example.As far as US aid goes, surely giving monies to a foreign regime by definition must be in some way conditional on that regime’s conduct?And here for you is a chilling example of how Hamas is not exactly restraining its extremist tendencies as you put it.http://www.pmw.org.il/asx/PMW_Hamas_suicide.asxDrinking Jewish blood, what charmers they are.
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